


The Mystery of the never diminishing candles.

by Pixie_Rose



Series: 31 Days of HP Halloween Challenge [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, are they floating?, how is that possible?, is this real?, muggleborn in the great hall for the first time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 18:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12941274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixie_Rose/pseuds/Pixie_Rose
Summary: Muggleborn Penelope Clearwater gets confused about how the candles in the Great hall both float and constantly burn without getting any smaller like regular muggle candles always did.Her curiosity getting the better of her she eventually goes and asks her head of house, Professor Flitwick.





	The Mystery of the never diminishing candles.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 - Candles
> 
> (see series for other notes)

Candles had always meant one of two things at home. It was someone’s birthday - they were always small ones stuck in a cake then, or the power was out, and it was the easiest source of light for them. 

So when Penelope arrived at Hogwarts and saw candles all over they were confused. She walked into the Great Hall, and her eyes immediately went to the candles floating in the air above her and the rest of the students… so not only was there tons of candles, but they  _ floated  _ as well. Was this real? She pinched herself to make sure. She couldn’t imagine what her mum and dad would say about this. Would she even tell them? 

She did realise that in such a large place like this the candles were such an easy way to light up the place, and a cost efficient way too.  _ Wow,  _ she thought.  _ I am turning into my dad. Thinking of cost-effectiveness. _

As she stood in the huddle of fellow first years she was nervous, she didn’t know what to expect when she got up to that stool, she didn’t even know what house she wanted to be in. Her eyes were drawn to the candles behind the teachers on the plinth above them. The flickering of the flames drew her eyes towards them. Like a proverbial moth to a flame. She concentrated on that, rather than the churning feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

 

It wasn’t until Christmas feast that Penelope realised that the candles never seemed to get smaller, she began wondering if they were really alight or if it was a charm to make them seem alight. She began to be curious, how did they manage to be constantly alight and never get smaller. She had watched candles at home burn, in the long winter nights when the storms had blown power lines, the more a candle burnt the smaller it got - or that is what she had learned as a young girl. That didn’t seem to work here, the candles never got smaller.

It was later that week, after nights of restless sleep whilst her mind tried, to come up with an answer the muggle science loving part of her brain would accept. Try as she might she just couldn’t fathom how it worked. So she decided she needed to ask  _ someone _ how it was possible. Her first port of call was her head of house, Professor Flitwick. Which is why the following day, at the end of classes she found herself heading towards the CHarms classroom. She knocked on the door. 

“Come in.” She heard one of her favourite professors call through the door. 

She pushed open the door and timidly entered. “Professor Flitwick,” she searched the room with her eyes for him. “I have a query for you.” 

“Yes,” he came around a precarious stack of books. “What can I do for you… Penelope?” 

“I have a question…. About the candles… the ones in the Great Hall.” She asked, sinking into a chair near her and placing her bag at her feet. 

“What is your question?” He asked, always happy to help a student answer any queries they have - especially those who grew up with no magic in their lives before coming to Hogwarts. “I will try my best to answer it.” 

“How come they are, nearly, always burning but they never seem to get any smaller?”

“They have a charm placed on them that means they don’t burn out.” He smiles. “It is a charm of my making.” We had so many issues replacing them in the past when they burnt out, or always realising straight away that they had burnt out.”

“Oh,” Penelope smiled. “That is a good charm.” She was very impressed. “Thank you, professor.” She smiled as she got to her feet and picked up her bag. 

“anytime,” he nodded. “I am always here to answer any queries my Ravenclaw minds have.” 

She left, closing the door behind her. Glad to have an answer, to have the mystery of the never diminishing candles was now solved. She could sleep at ease tonight. 


End file.
